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Norwegian Air uses Dreamliners to fuel big U.S. expansion

Fast-growing low-cost carrier Norwegian Air Shuttle is shifting its rapid expansion to the United States, announcing three new U.S. destinations that will launch in 2014. The carrier said on Tuesday that it

The carrier said on Tuesday that it would add new service between Scandinavia and Los Angeles, Oakland and Orlando. Norwegian also announced a new route from New York JFK, adding Copenhagen flights to its existing schedule there. The airline will fly the new routes on its newly acquired Boeing 787 Dreamliners that seat 291 passengers.

Norwegian touted introductory fares as low as $472 round-trip from its new destinations.

"We believe that the U.S is low-hanging fruit," Norwegian CEO Bjorn Kjos is quoted as saying by Bloomberg News. "People love to fly cheap and they love to fly far."

Kjos says the lower operating costs of Boeing's 787 Dreamliner allow Norwegian to launch long-haul routes that previously would have been money-losers.

Reuters adds background on the carrier, saying "Norwegian placed Europe's biggest aircraft order last year when it bought 222 planes from Boeing and Airbus. It has been one of Europe's most successful carriers, taking market share from SAS and also moving outside its traditional Nordic market with bases in London and Spain."

As for Norwegian's new U.S. routes announced on Tuesday, the carrier plans the following frequencies:

Los Angeles

Stockholm service begins March 2, with two weekly round-trip flights. The schedule increases to three weekly flights on April 30.

Copenhagen service begins Feb. 28, with two weekly round-trip flights. The schedule increases to four weekly flights on April 30.

Oslo service begins June1, with one flight a week.

Oakland

Stockholm service begins May 3, with two weekly round-trip flights.

Oslo service begins May 28, with three weekly round-trip flights.

Orlando

Oslo service begins May 29, with two flights a week.

New York

Copenhagen service begins Feb. 28, with two weekly round-trip flights. The schedule increases to four weekly flights on April 30.

Norwegian flies mostly within Europe, though it has ambitions growth plans after launching long-haul flights to Thailand and the United States in May. The airline already has announced plans to expand to Fort Lauderdale, as well – saying it would add service to all three Scandinavian capitals from the South Florida airport this November.

"So far the response to our New York, Bangkok and Fort Lauderdale routes has been tremendous," Kjos adds in a statement. "Most of our flights have been fully booked over the summer. Our offer has not only been well received by Scandinavian passengers travelling to the U.S. or Asia, but also Asians and Americans going to Scandinavia and beyond."